SUMMARY The NuA4/TIP60 acetyltransferase complex is a key regulator of genome expression and stability. Here, we identified MBTD1 as a new stable subunit of the complex and gleaned intriguing insights into TIP60’s function. Harboring a histone reader domain for H4K20me1/2, MBTD1 allows TIP60 to associate with specific gene promoters and to promote the repair of DNA double strand breaks by homologous recombination. Interestingly, the non-homologous end joining factor 53BP1 engages chromatin through simultaneous binding of H4K20me2 and H2AK15ub, and it was postulated that Tip60-dependent acetylation of H4 regulates this binding. Our findings now indicate that the TIP60 complex is a potent regulator of DNA damage repair pathways in part by targeting the same histone mark as 53BP1. In addition, deposition of H2AK15ub by RNF168 inhibits chromatin acetylation by TIP60, while this residue can be acetylated by TIP60 in vivo, blocking its ubiquitylation. Altogether, these results uncover an intricate mechanism orchestrated by the TIP60 complex which regulates 53BP1-dependent repair pathway selection through incompatible bivalent binding and modification of chromatin.

Conventional affinity purification followed by mass spectrometry (AP-MS) analysis is a broadly applicable method used to decipher molecular interaction networks and infer protein function. However, it is sensitive to perturbations induced by ectopically overexpressed target proteins and does not reflect multilevel physiological regulation in response to diverse stimuli. Here, we developed an interface between genome editing and proteomics to isolate native protein complexes produced from their natural genomic contexts. We used CRISPR/Cas9 and TAL effector nucleases (TALENs) to tag endogenous genes and purified several DNA repair and chromatin-modifying holoenzymes to near homogeneity. We uncovered subunits and interactions among well-characterized complexes and report the isolation of MCM8/9, highlighting the efficiency and robustness of the approach. These methods improve and simplify both small- and large-scale explorations of protein interactions as well as the study of biochemical activities and structure-function relationships.

Eukaryotic cells compartmentalize their internal milieu in order to achieve specific reactions in time and space. This organization in distinct compartments is essential to allow subcellular processing of regulatory signals and generate specific cellular responses. In the nucleus, genetic information is packaged in the form of chromatin, an organized and repeated nucleoprotein structure that is a source of epigenetic information. In addition, cells organize the distribution of macromolecules via various membrane-less nuclear organelles, which have gathered considerable attention in the last few years. The macromolecular multiprotein complexes known as Promyelocytic Leukemia Nuclear Bodies (PML NBs) are an archetype for nuclear membrane-less organelles. Chromatin interactions with nuclear bodies are important to regulate genome function. In this review, we will focus on the dynamic interplay between PML NBs and chromatin. We report how the structure and formation of PML NBs, which may involve phase separation mechanisms, might impact their functions in the regulation of chromatin dynamics. In particular, we will discuss how PML NBs participate in the chromatinization of viral genomes, as well as in the control of specific cellular chromatin assembly pathways which govern physiological mechanisms such as senescence or telomere maintenance.